Dum Vivo Amo ( While I live I love)

Kane

Marcus slowly walked down the long and dimly lit hallway. The weight of his choices lay heavily on his shoulders. He was trapped within a nightmare from which he could not awake. As he approached the large metal door at end of the corridor, he felt his pulse begin to accelerate, his heart beating hard and rapidly against his chest. His breath was shallow, and he felt as if he were suffocating, drowning. He immediately recognized the symptoms. Panic. Abby had gently explained that it was normal to have panic attacks following a traumatic event.

Resting his back against the cold wall, he attempted to do the deep breathing exercises that Abby had taught him. He closed his eyes, and began to breathe with his diaphragm. Inhale... count to 5....exhale. The events of the last two days permanently etched into his mind. His greatest desire and driving purpose in life had been to save his people, and yet his hands carried the stain of their blood. He had wanted to deliver them, instead he had killed them. Each death for which he was responsible, had irrevocably marked his soul. Even if there were a God, he certainly would not have the luxury of forgiveness. The breadth of his sins was too vast. If it hadn't been for Abby, he would have surely fallen into the black abyss that constantly threatened to consume him.

Inhale.

Abby.

Exhale.

Abby was one of the strongest person he knew, and he was terrified that she would shatter. That the light which irradiated from her every pore, would suddenly vanish, ceasing to exist. He could still hear her agonizing cries when Octavia had tearfully informed her that all the radio communications had been lost, preventing her from hearing her daughter's voice one more time. He could still feel her hot tears on his neck as they clung tightly to each other as the Death Wave swept over Polis. It had taken all his strength to tear himself from her side where he had meticulously kept watch during the past 48 hours. "Our representative for the council will either be you or it will be Jaha," she had reminded him.

He attempted to clear his mind so that he could focus on the challenges and obstacles that lay ahead. Octavia had declared that they, the 1,200 remaining members of the human race, were now to be one people, Wonkru. It was understood that it would take time for everyone to set aside old grudges, prejudices and tribalistic views and to truly come together as one. At the encouragement of both he and Indra, Octavia had agreed to form a council comprising of an appointed advisor from each of the former 12 tribes. It would be their task to create laws, maintain peace, find solutions to problems before they became problems.

Suddenly, he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder, providing an anchor to the present.

"Stedaunon don gon we; kikon ste ent." (The dead are gone; the living are hungry.) He opened his eyes. Indra. Her eyes were kind, however, she was not smiling. "Octavia will be waiting."

He nodded to convey to the warrior that he understood, and he followed her into the cold gray room.